Trap.



No. 814,527. PATENTED MAR, 6, 1906.

E. L. FLINT.

TRAP. APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, 1905.

2 SHBETS-SHEET l.

, useful Improvements in EDGAR L. FLINT, OF EAST HIRAM, MAINE.

TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 6, 1906.

Application filed July 18, 1905. Serial No. 270,282.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR L. FLINT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at East Hiram, in the county of Oxford and State of Maine, have invented new and Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to birdtraps, and has for its objects to produce a comparatively simple inexpensive device of this character which in practice may be readily set for catching birds, one which may be adjusted for trapping a single or any number of birds, and one by which the trapped birds will be entirely unharmed.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a device of this character in which the trapping member or net will be automatically released by the weight of the bird, one in Which the net may be locked in open position, and one from which the birds may be readily removed.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises the novel features of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trap embodying the invention and showing the parts in trapping position. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 with the net removed; and Fig. 4 is a plan view, partly in section. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6' is a detail view of thelockingrod. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the recessed engaging hubs, showing one arm of the net-holding bail engaged therewith.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a box-like casing comprising front and rear end walls 2 and side walls 3, there being extended through the casing from front to rear and slidably sustained in bearing-openings in the walls 2 a latch member or rod 4, provided at its forward end with a finger-piece or button 5 and its rear end with a notch or recess 6. Mounted upon the rod 4 is an expansible spring 7, bearing at one end against the rear wall 2 and at its other end against a collar 8, fixed upon the rod, to which latter there is attached the forward end of a guiderod 9, angularly bent at its front end to present a downwardly and rearwardly inclined portion 10 and having its rear end slidably disposed in a suitable opening formed in the rear wall 2.

Extending through the casing 1 and having bearing at their ends in the side walls 3 are pivoting members or rods 11, disposed,

respectively, adjacent the front and rear walls, there being pivoted on said rods crossed supporting members or links 12, arranged in pairs adjacent opposite sides of the casing and having their free ends slotted, as at 13, for the reception of headed fastening members 14, by means of which the links are slidably engaged with a depressible member or platform 15, said links being connected in pairs for uniform movement with strips 16 and are spaced from the walls 3 of the casing by means of sleeves or thimbles 17, loosely mounted upon the rods 11.

Attached to and depending from the platform 15 is a keeper 18, preferably in the form of a metal plate or bracket, having a longitudinal opening 19, through which the looking element 4 extends, and the platform be-. ing sustained by normally expanded springs 20, disposed upon the vertically depending portions or arms 21 of U-shaped members or bails 22, composed of wire and extended across the platform at points adjacent the front and rear ends thereof, the horizontal portions of said bails being received by recesses 23 at the outer ends of the links 12 and the depending portions or arms 21 hav ing at their lower ends slots 24, designed to receive clamping members or bolts 25, en-

tered through the side walls 3 and provided with thumb-nuts 26, by means of which the lower ends of the arms 21 are clamped after adjustment to vary the tension of springs 20.

Extended transversely of the casing 1 and journaled at its ends in the side walls 3 is a rotary shaft 27, having Wound thereon a pair of power-springs, each attached at one end to the shaft and at its other end to the adjacent side wall of the casing, there being fixed upon the ends of the shaft for rotation therewith and at the outer faces of the walls 3 engaging hubs 29, each provided with a series of slots or recesses 30, while pivoted to the side walls 3, as at 31, is a U-shaped bail or frame 32, composed of wire or other suitable material,

bent into shape and having its side portions or arms 33 engaged with the heads 29 by entrance into one of slots '30, whereby the frame will swing with the shaft during rotation of the latter under the influence of springs 28.

Fixed upon the casing 1 is a projecting ledge or flange 34, constituting an abutment for limiting the forward swinging movement of the bail 32, to which latter there is pivoted a latch member or loop 35, composed of wire and designed for en agement with the rear end of the locking element 4 and to be received. by the recess 6 when the parts are in engaged or locked position, there being ar ranged over the frame an open-work trapping member or net 36, composed of any suitable pliable material and attached at its lower edge in part to the swinging member or bail 32 and throughout the remainder of its.

extent to the casing 1. Fixed in the top of the net 36 is a ring or annulus 37, within which the net is closed by a running string or other suitable element 38, thus to provide an entrance-opening for the introduction of the hand to the interior of the net when in trapping position.

In :practice to set the trap the swinging member or bail 32 is turned to the position illustrated in Fig. 3 and the latch member 35 engaged with the rear end of the rod 4, which under these conditions is maintained in locking position with the spring 7 under tension, owing to the engagement of the forward inclined portion 10 of element 9 with the slot 19 in keeper 18, it being understood that the platform 15 is normally forced upward'under the action of springs 20. Under these conditions the net 36 will be turned backward from over the platform, which latter is intended to receive seed or other bait for attracting the birds. As soon as a suflicient number of birds have settled upon the platform the latter will under theinfluence of the weight of the birds'be depressed against the action of springs 20, thereby moving the keeper 18 downward until the element 10 can pass throu h the slot 19, whereupon the spring 7 wil expand and force the rod 4 forward, thereby releasing latch 35 and permitting the shaft 27 to rotate under the influence of springs 28 for swinging the frame 32 to the position illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, to thus throw the net 36 over the birds. After the birds have been trapped in this manner they may be removed from beneath the net by introducing the hand through the opening of the net contained within the ring 37. It is to be noted that the shaft 27 may be rotated for regulating the tension of the power-springs 28 and that after the proper tension has been attained the arms 33 are entered in the proper slots or recesses 30 ofthe heads 29 and, furthermore, that the tension of springs 20 may be varied by loosening the 6 5 Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, a pivoted frame adapted for movement from nontrapping to trapping position, a net operatively connected with the frame, means for swinging the latter to trapping position, means fbr locking the frame in non-trapping position, and a depressible platform operable for automatically releasing the frame to permit movement of the latter to trapping position.

2. In a device of the class described, a pivoted frame, a trapping-net operatively connected therewith for movement to trapping position, a movable locking member adapted for operative engagement with the frame to lock the same in normal position, a depressible platform, a keeper thereon formaintaining the locking member in frame-locking position, said platform being operable for automatically releasing the locking member and frame, and means for automatically throwing the latter to trappin position.

3. In a device of the c ass described, a pivoted trapping member equipped with a trapping-net, a longitudinallymo'vable lockingrod, a locking device on the'member for engagement with said rod, a depressible platform, a keeper thereon adapted forengagement with the rod to maintain the same in locking position, a spring for moving the rod to releasing position, and means for automatically moving the trapping member and net to trapping position.

4. In a device of the class described, a pivoted trapping member equipped with a trapping-net, a movable locking member operatively engaged with and for maintaining the trapping member in open position, a depressible platform, a keeper carried thereby for engagement with and to maintain the locking member in looking position, means for moving the locking member to releasing position, and means for automatically moving the trapping member when released to trapping position.

5. In a device of the class described, a casing, a shaft j ournaled therein, means for automatically rotating the shaft, a frame connected with and for swinging movement by the latter, a trapping-net carried by the frame, a locking member adapted for operative engagement with and to lock the frame IIO ing, a shaft Y spring for rotating the shaft, a trapping-net in open position, a depressible platform, and

net in open position, a depressible platform, 10

a keeper carried by the platform for locking and a keeper carried by the platform for or releasing the locking member.

6. In a device of the class described, a casj ournaled therein, a poweroperatively connected With and for movement to trapping position by the shaft, a locking member adapted for maintaining the locking or releasing the locking member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

EDGAR L. FLINT. Witnesses:

CHAS. L. WILSON, JAMEs EVANS. 

